ICPD beyond 2014 Global Youth Forum

Date:

Start in 04 Dec 2012End in 06 Dec 2012

Location:

Indonesia

Youth Rights at the Heart of Development

Forty-three percent of the world’s population is currently under 25 - and the number of young people is rising fastest in those parts of the world with the lowest economic growth. The ICPD Programme of Action made the needs of youth a priority and yet in all countries of the world, progress on youth issues is lagging.

Today’s youth are more connected and tuned in to the world than any generation before. They are growing up fast, in a world that is changing even faster. Fortunately for all of us, young people see the challenges before them in fresh ways and are responding with enthusiasm and imagination. Young people have the potential to transform the social and economic fortunes of their communities, particularly in least developed countries.

With the right investments, today’s young people can reach their full potential as individuals, leaders and agents of progress. And the world clearly needs their energy, their participation and their skills. But delivering that transformation takes partnership action on health, education, employment, sexual and reproductive health and a commitment to real civic engagement.

Depsite their enormous stake in the future, youth voices have not been part of the mainstrean development debate. The ICPD Beyond 2014 Global Youth Forum, in Bali from Dec 4-6 2012 aims to address this. Through a partnership of UN agencies, young people, civil society and the private sector the Forum aims to translate the participatory goals of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development into a sustainable youth advocacy movement.

Led by young people for young people and contributing directly to the process of defining future development goals, the Global Youth Forum will give young people a stronger voice. Over 900 delegates will agree on global recommendations for action on five crucial issues:

Youth Success Stories

Today, my activities have created jobs for young people interested in livestock development, encouraged many farmers already frustrated with inadequate productivity, empowered women in the livestock value chain and have contributed immensely to the rapid multiplication of livestock and sustainability of livestock value chain in Nigeria and West Africa.

I believe that agriculture was meant to be my destiny and I am grateful for being inspired to pursue a career in science. If I had to choose all over again, I would without a doubt and a second thought choose agriculture. I love being an agronomist. It gives me enormous sense of job satisfaction and achievement.

Because of the universal reach of agriculture, I believe my career in it has, and will continue to have, a truly positive impact on the global community. #IamAg, I am involved in agriculture and surrounded by it. #AreYouAg too?

When I look back, I realise that the job I am doing today did not exist when I was a child or at secondary school. I just followed by heart and passion, and did what I feel happy doing. Therefore, my advice to someone interested in my career is to first of all love what you do.

My advice to be successful in an agricultural career is to not only focus on passing the exams and finishing all your tasks. Tomorrow you will be the one who will feed the people and you must know how to produce healthy food. Your worth will only be equal to what you know.

If you are looking for a job that gives you real job satisfaction, inner peace and a relationship with nature then I invite you to study agriculture. Agriculture is a noble profession because it was man’s first occupation and remains critical to the survival of mankind.

I think the reason more young people aren’t interested in an agricultural career is the lack of promotion. Agriculture has been left behind. In my country, every year universities are offering more office type careers, so young people are pursuing those. It is down to us, those that work in farming, to share our experience and tell how much we love to work in agriculture.

Today, I am agricultural economist, an agricultural extension officer and an agricultural communicator not only for YPARD Nigeria but for agriculture.You too can choose your agricultural path and become the best and that could turn out to be an inspiration for someone out there.

Opportunities are a pool of doors in our lives, we just have to find the keys to open them. My family, my University and YPARD, have been the keys for many of them. Now it’s time to become a key too, and return what others have given to me.

Focusing on young farmers, and young people in general be it professionals in agriculture and consumers in rural areas, is key in all of this. They are more open to adopting more sustainable, or just different practices and comprise a large share of the local populationAnd it’s them that will be hit hardest by the consequences of unsustainable practices.